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Post by dgaddis1 on Aug 5, 2014 9:01:34 GMT -5
The Greeneway is a wonderful resource and facility. A nice paved, car free, shaded, scenic path that connects neighborhoods with parks and downtown. It’s a great way to commute into work, ride over to a friend’s house, go for a run, walk the dog, take the kids for a ride or walk, and go for any easy cruise with your significant other. It is NOT however, the place to go for a fast training ride. I’m tired of seeing people on bikes acting like a-holes and making the rest of us look bad. Going too fast, passing too close to slower trail users, and not paying attention. It would be cliché to blame it all on the triathletes (and yesterday I saw a guy down on his aerobars miss running over a turtle’s head by millimeters – thankfully the turtle has faster reflexes than the rider, and he tucked into his shell just in time), but honestly I’ve seen riders of all types being jerks. Hardcore roadies, MTBers, old folks on hybrids with the handlebars 8ft in air, guys riding 20yr old creaking and squeaking bikes, you name it – I’ve seen them nearly hurt someone. So here’s a few tips to keep the greeneway safe for everyone If no one else is around, go as fast as you want Slow way way way down at road crossings and make sure it’s clear before going across. Be prepared to stop if you need to. When approaching other trail users, slow down. ESPECIALLY if there are kids or dogs involved – both are completely unpredictable and liable to run out in front of you at any moment Stay off the aerobars when around other trail users – you need to be able to brake suddenly if necessary Don't stare at your front wheel, watch where you're going When passing, slow down, and give plenty of room. Don’t shout “ON YOUR LEFT!!!!” and then blast by inches away from someone. Headphones – don’t be stupid, take them out so you can hear people coming up from behind you. Don’t stop in the middle of the trail, move to the side Go in a straight line to make it easier for others to pass you if they want Don’t do it for me. Do it for the kids. And the tturtles.
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Post by dgaddis1 on Aug 1, 2014 11:53:44 GMT -5
Dallas GA is ~180 miles away from Modoc, and this attack almost certainly has zero connection to what happened here in the CSRA. Staying off the trails is not the solution.
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Post by dgaddis1 on Jul 30, 2014 8:09:44 GMT -5
I did ORAMM this weekend. What a day. It was everything it was hyped up to be. It was my first time doing the race (60 miles in Pisgah with 10,500ft of climbing), and I had never ridden any of the trails before. The goals were simpe: 1 - Don't Die 2 - Finish I stopped at all the rest stops, at some I sat down and ate a bit, took my time. But when I was riding, I was trying to push a little bit, but not too much, and I feel like struck the perfect balance. The ride starts with a neutral roll out from Old Fort, NC. Huge group. The folks I rode with then, were the same ones I rode with all day long. Seriously, kept seeing the same guys over and over and over till the finish. Brief rundown: Kitsuma Round 1 - Rode up every inch on the initial climb, cleared all the switchbacks. The people in front of me were riding, the people behind me were riding, I was NOT going to be the guy who screwed up and made everyone walk. The downhill sucked, so rough. I was riding a rigid. My brakes got hot enough to smell them. I took some air out of the tires at the bottom, which helped a lot. Curtis Creek Road - ~10 mile long climb. My stomach wasn't happy at the bottom, but thankfully settled down and I didn't have to take a dump in the woods. Curtis Creek wasn't so bad. Long for sure, but not terribly steep, I rode it all the way, no walking. However, I thought the end of the climb was the top of Curtis Creek. FALSE. I takes you to the Blue Ridge Parkway, where you then continue climbing for about 3 more miles. That kinda took the wind out of my sails a bit. Then a FAST two mile downhill on the Parkway (which is over in the blink of an eye), then 2 more miles of climbing, then a ridiculous hike-a-bike up to Heartbreak Ridge Heartbreak Ridge - I stopped at the start of the downhill and sat down for a minute. Ate some food, drank some water. On the downhill I took my time, I knew the hardest part of the ride was behind me and I just wanted to stay upright and finish. Crashing and DNFing would really piss me off after all the effort I'd put into the day already. Did I mention that the rigid really sucks on those descents? They're so steep you have to ride the brakes the whole way, and while braking and bracing against the bars so you don't flip, you can't use your arms to absorb the bumps. It's like riding a jackhammer down the mountain for five or six miles. I stopped a few times to shake out my hands and let the brakes cool, they were really, really hot. The last thing I needed was to overheat them and boil the brake fluid. Kitsuma Round 2 - I was with some guys on climb to the trail, but once we hit the trail they were walking and I rode away. I walked a few of the steepest switchbacks, but rode most of it. I was alone pretty much the whole trail. Once I got to the top I knew it was in the bag and I was stoked. Stopped a few times on the downhill to shake out my hands and give the brakes a rest. They wer soooo hot. Squirted some water on the calipers and it sizzled and boiled off instantly. Crazysauce. Hammered as best I could on the paved ride back into town to the finish line. 60 miles, 10,500ft of climbing, 8:17 total time. I was stoked. Way better than expected, no major problems out on the course. I'll be back next year for sure. Now I know what to expect. Show up with a little better fitness, and keep the pits stops brief, I think I can get down around 7:30. The race sold out at 500 racers, not sure how many actually made the start line. 372 finished. Overall, I placed 262nd. In the Open Men category I was 68th out of 93. Thomas Turner set a new course record of 4:23. Again, my time was 8:17. He essentially went twice as fast as I did. That makes my head hurt. A few thoughts: -The mental game is huge on those big climbs. If you get a bad attitude, you're doomed and are going to be truly miserable. The climbs are looooooong. Stay positive. If you're around negative people, get away, don't let them bring you down -Suspension is good. I wished I had some. -I know the modern drivetrain craze is for double and single chainring set ups, but for me (a guy who loves his single speed), if I'm going to have gears I want the biggest range possible - triple cranks are awesome!!! I used every single bit of the range, I climbed the tight and steep switchbacks on Kitsuma in the granny, and pushed the biggest gear possible on some of the paved descents. Here's some pics One of the photographers got a good pic of me HERE Start. This was amazingly handy!!! We went up this in the morning, and down it later that day. I walked it both ways. Saw one guy skid up to it and couldn't stop in time, ended up supermaning down onto some roots. He was okay, but broke his shifter off. There was plenty of hike-a-biking SAG 2 Pisgah forest is absolutely beautiful. The infamous Curtis Creek road. It took me about 2hrs and 15minutes to ride the 13 miles from the SAG at the bottom of Curtis to the top of the Parkway. 3,330ft of UP. It didn't feel like it took that long, but that's what Strava says. At least the scenery was nice. Yep, that's a ~20yr old Hotrock with an elastomer fork, rim brakes, and a kickstand. He finished ~5mins after I did.
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Post by dgaddis1 on Jul 30, 2014 7:41:54 GMT -5
Specialized's business tactics are less than desireable. "Litigate or Die" They do make some good stuff though. Well, they design good stuff, they don't actually make anything themselves. I like their shoes and tires, and I know people LOVE the Epics and I'm intrigued by them as well. Trek/Fisher had a long run of frames breaking (HiFi). Cannondale has way too much proprietary stuff IMO, and when Dorel bought them and moved production out of the USA to overseas the prices didn't go down a bit. GT isn't what it once was. Pinarello is just crazy expensive, and the frames are still made in Taiwan by someone else like most other brands, and their MTB is gimicky IMO. Giant actually makes their own stuff (and a lot of others stuff too). They have their own aluminum foundry, and weave their own carbon. I had an '06 Anthem I really liked a few years ago, and if I were in the market for a DS the newer ones would be on the short list, along with the Epic. More and more I'm drawn to the smaller brands though, especially the handbuilt stuff. My next bike will say Zukas on the downtube Back to pics of bikes! Here's my On-One Scandal in it's latest form, with a rigid fork since I broke my Terralogic and don't want to spend the money to fix it. 22.56lbs without the frame bag. This was set up for ORAMM, the framebag held a tube, multitool, chain quicklinks, derailleur hanger, and food. Makes it easy to get to food while riding, and keeps stuff out of jersey pockets. Kind of a pain getting a bottle into the cage on the DT though.
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Post by dgaddis1 on Jul 28, 2014 11:39:43 GMT -5
This is insane. The story is spreading like wildfire though, I bet they catch the guys. I hope they do. I'm glad your husband got away okay!!!
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Post by dgaddis1 on Jul 24, 2014 8:39:55 GMT -5
Yup, trails were in great shape last night. We did the top three (Deep Step, Big Rock, and Tower) Lots of hero dirt, a few slightly soft spots, and only one spot holding water.
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Post by dgaddis1 on Jul 17, 2014 9:03:47 GMT -5
Now that's a cottonmouth! Most people would not have been satisfied until they clubbed it to death with a log or rock. Yeah I know, but that's silly. The woods is their house, we just play there. We did move him off the trail tho... He didn't strike at the limb, just showed his fangs and "rattled" his tail. I had to push him several feet before he finally turned and took off.
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Post by dgaddis1 on Jul 17, 2014 8:42:58 GMT -5
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Post by dgaddis1 on Jul 7, 2014 15:01:46 GMT -5
I built my wife some wheels recently and I'd like to get rid of her stock wheels. Can anyone use them? They come off a lower end Giant hardtail and have some Kenda tires mounted up. They're disc brake wheels and have a set of 160mm discs installed you can have as well.
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Post by dgaddis1 on Jul 7, 2014 13:04:04 GMT -5
Less than 3,000ft if you do all six. Some info from a few years ago here: sorbacsra.proboards.com/thread/833/total-climbingWhen I did all six last time Strava said there was just under 2,900ft. Michael Dunn did it recently and his said 2700ft, and he was using a real GPS (not just an iPhone app like me).
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Post by dgaddis1 on Jul 7, 2014 7:27:41 GMT -5
Did the Christmas Part ride this weekend, both Keg and Mistletoe are in FINE shape. Rode the new back door trail that was raked in for the Wildwood games. Everything rides nice. Vid of Seth (aka Stud Muffin) riding the Rock Dam here: http://instagram.com/p/qEuH39ypoy
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Post by dgaddis1 on Jul 7, 2014 7:25:04 GMT -5
Rode Keg and Mistletoe this weekend, both are in great shape. Water in most of the creek crossings, and lots of opportunities to hone your log hoping skills. A few non-riders, but all are easy enough to get over. I don't remember where the non-riders are....I'm sure Brian or Ted do, they pay closer attention to that stuff than I do.
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Post by dgaddis1 on Jul 7, 2014 7:21:38 GMT -5
Hey guys, I am in the market for a 1 1/4 inch hitch mounted bike rack to carry 1 or 2 bikes. I'm flexible on platform or hanging styles. Thanks, Brian Hey Brian - I have one I can give you for free if you'd like it. It's a hanging style, and it's missing the locking "nut", but you could probably find a replacement with decent Google skills. I used the rack for a few years, then got a platform style and gave that one to my dad. He just upgraded to something else, so now we've got this one sitting around. Shoot me an e-mail if you're interested, I can send you some pictures. SouthernWheelworks at gmail dot com.
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Post by dgaddis1 on Jul 3, 2014 7:31:48 GMT -5
Trail is in good shape for the most part. Kind of a jungle out there, lots of plant growth in places. Very dry and dusty last night, but fast. A few sandy corners, and a few trees down. One is a small rider that will be left down, the other two are coming out. There will be a route that will need to be cut sooner than later. The section by the creek that fell in a few months back, it keeps collapsing and more and more is falling off the hill, and it's right at the edge of the trail now, with a big hole on the edge. Another good rain storm will change it even more. It's just all sand there and with that tree no longer standing there's nothing to hold it all together. We'll have to move the trail 'inland' a good bit. A few of us rode this log last night. No one made it look pretty, but we did make it over and keep it rubberside down! This one will get cut out though.
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Post by dgaddis1 on Jun 30, 2014 12:54:12 GMT -5
I was considering getting new hydraulic brakes for my mountain bike. Was hoping to find someone to help me put them on. It might be a long shot but I'd like to learn and not just pay the shop. Watch some YouTube videos for the specific brakes you plan to buy, then you can see what's involved. Some brakes need special bleed kits if you plan to shorten the hoses. That said, they come already assembled and bled (in theory...) and ready to ride, so you just bolt them up and go. But the hoses will likely be a lot longer than necessary, so it's good to shorten them. YouTube really is a FANTASTIC source for how to videos. Bikes, A/C units, washing machine, plasma TV's, you name it - there's videos that show how to fix 'em.
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Post by dgaddis1 on Apr 28, 2014 22:46:45 GMT -5
Ross, the 15 minute drink, 45 minute gel and hour endurolyte (which one do you use) works well? Did you eat any solid food? Nutrition/hydration is my killer for long rides. That's similar to what I do. I down gel (or something) every 45mins, and a bottle an hour. I've never been able to do the endurolyte capsules/pills, I'm certain I'd choke to death on them. I prefer gel to solid food, but after about the 4hr mark I'm really sick of gel and start mixing in some solid food too. I like the gummy chew stuff...I try to avoid a lot of truly solid food, it doesn't sit well with my stomach.
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Post by dgaddis1 on Apr 28, 2014 6:57:56 GMT -5
Good job Ross! What was your finishing time?
I did that race a few years ago and had a terrible day, it was the first warm ride of the year (about 15*F warmer than I had been riding in) and I bonked super hard and it took me over 9hrs to finish. I'd like to get up there and do it again, maybe next year!
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Post by dgaddis1 on Apr 28, 2014 6:50:32 GMT -5
That was great. A good size group left early and did the ~70 mile route. The 'big boys' set a stupid fast pace right at the start and the group broke up, but everyone found their way and had a good ride. Here's a few pics I took. Headed to Mistletoe How to survive flat roads on a SS when riding with geared riders. Grab a wheel and catch a draft, and hang on for dear life. Spin at 1,000rpm for a few seconds, coast, repeat. If you let more than about 4ft of air get between you and the guy in front - you're done, and they're gonna ride away. So glad I got a pic of this awkward almost-fall haha I'm going to start marketing some add on fork crown mounted aerobars. I'll post the link to KickStarter when it's ready. ~40 miles into the day, with ~30 miles left to go - nothing hits the spot like some Dixie Champagne and a Snickers bar.
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Post by dgaddis1 on Apr 25, 2014 8:41:10 GMT -5
Everything is a go for lotsa miles on Sunday. Forecast is saying it's gonna get into the upper 80's Sunday afternoon, so lets start on time!
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Post by dgaddis1 on Apr 23, 2014 21:12:52 GMT -5
Good times on the canal trail tonight! Trail is in great shape and several folks rode the log for the first time. Trent rode it on his CX bike on his commute home from work. Greg cleared it for the first time. I don't know who this guy is but he hardly hit the brakes on the way through. Kim came so close she could taste it Banks is a master of the logs Both Candace and Kim crashed on the log but got up to try it again and again. Video here: http://instagram.com/p/nJ76G7SpoS
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